How to stay mentally and physically fit during the Coronavirus crisis

With thanks to Travis Ireland from Run Down Under

Amidst all the negativity and uncertainty the last few weeks have bought to the world, I’m excited to share some positive news from around the world – all put here to re-iterate that we should all be getting out the door to continue to run and walk for our physical and mental health.

A news report from the New York Times has told us, “The racing world, like the rest of the world, is on hold. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at public parks, streets and trails across the United States. A running boom is taking off. With little else to do — no spinning classes, lap swim hours, boot camps or barre — a lot of people are turning to (or getting back to) running. It’s the perfect sport for a pandemic. All you need is a pair of shoes and a six-foot buffer from the next person. There are runners in jeans and runners in expensive “athleisure” kits that look like they have never seen sweat. There are families pulling together with games of “first one to the light post wins” and friends running with an awkward amount of space between each other.”

The UK has gone into lock down, however one of the 4 reasons that people can leave home is to complete “one form of exercise per day”…….so let’s RUN!

New Zealand moved to Alert Level 4 at 11:59pm on Wednesday 24 March. These are unprecedented times and we want to help you know what this means for your outdoor recreation plans in NZ. The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC) has sought advice from the Ministry of Health as to what Alert Level 4 means. This doesn’t mean people can’t get outside and get physical activity. “It’s about choosing the appropriate level of recreation, maintaining some sense of physical activity for health and well-being benefits, but not tackling those longer challenging day trips and certainly nothing that requires an overnight stay.”  You may go for a walk/run/ride or other physical exercise, but always keep a 2-metre distance from other people (not in your household) at all times. Be extremely careful of ‘high touch items’ like handrails, avoid touching these or immediately wash/sanitise your hands afterwards if you can’t avoid it.

So let’s all stay safe, stick to the rules of your region…..but not neglect our ability and the benefits of getting outdoors for a run or walk.

If you know of someone that could benefit from this, I welcome any NEW member who has had their race cancelled, is in need of a new race goal, or simply wants to start a new journey to come and JOIN US FOR FREE in April, May and June (3 months) and be part of a virtual race on the map of your choice. This is designed to help all runners who have had their event cancel, are struggling financially, or need the motivation to get out and run for both mental & physical health. A code and more details will be announced soon, but quite simply it is a FREE invite to come and start your journey on the map of your choice. Everyone in this race will start on April 1 with the finish line set for June 30. Every new member in this 3-month race simply runs as far as they can for 91 days. Every NEW member gets to be part of this event for FREE….. SPREAD THE WORD!